From Immaturity to Maturity

"Old Han the Fourth, you fucking sold me out."

When the Anti-Smuggling Command's rapid airships appeared near the route, the smuggler piloting a Great Xia Empire-made vessel immediately realized he had been played.

He had chosen this time to smuggle because he had connections.

Old Han the Fourth, a minor officer in charge of patrols for the Anti-Smuggling Command, was one of those connections.

The man would leak the patrol teams' deployment times and "safe" areas, and after a successful run, he would buy some "antiques" from the antique shop run by the man's wife.

They had worked together for several years and had always gotten along fairly well.

That was why the smuggler had let his guard down and been easily caught in the Anti-Smuggling Command's ambush.

At that moment, more than a dozen anti-smuggling airships closed in from every direction, on the verge of capturing him.

But the smuggling vessel suddenly burst forward at incredible speed, forcing its way out of the encirclement at far beyond normal velocity.

Old Han the Fourth, who was among those participating in the operation, froze for a moment before shouting furiously, "Fire! Open fire and destroy him!"

What partner? In his eyes, they were nothing more than a bunch of filthy scum.

For money's sake, there was no harm in having a little arrangement.

But that was all. When an opportunity for promotion came along, he had not hesitated to turn the other man into his achievement.

His wife had even closed her shop to avoid retaliation.

Once he was promoted, he could earn back those losses tenfold or a hundredfold through other means.

He had simply never expected the other side to break out of the encirclement.

Thinking of his chance at promotion slipping away, a lucrative source of income being